Veteran journalist Aaron Brown to headline Growth & Justice show
 Veteran journalist Aaron Brown will headline “The Second Quadrennial Worst Political Advertising in America Awards,” Wednesday, May 21 at 8 p.m. at the Pantages Theatre. The event, sponsored by Growth & Justice, an economic think tank, also features a number of elected officials and local personalities. “Political TV ads are widely considered the lowest and least respected form of political discourse, and it’s great to have one of the nation’s more respected TV journalists and journalism professors help preside over our non-partisan lampooning,’’ said Growth & Justice President Dane Smith. “It’s all for fun, and fun will be made of all.” A native of Hopkins, Brown began his career at 18 hosting talk radio programs in Minneapolis. Former host of “CNN’s Newsnight with Aaron Brown,” Brown is currently the Walter Cronkite Professor of Journalism at Arizona State University. It was recently announced he will host PBS’ “Wide Angle.”
Time to return to healthier fiscal diet; more vegetables (yes, taxes) fairly raised
Earlier this year, labor, faith and nonprofits joined forces to form the Invest in Minnesota Campaign. We believe that Minnesota’s fiscal course in recent years is diminishing the quality of life in our state. We know that we need more revenue, we need to raise it fairly and we need to invest in Minnesota. Our Campaign will call on its vast membership to spread this message and to encourage people to talk about what changes need to be made to change the course the state in on
Read the Campaign’s latest statement
Close the Gap series to air on TPT
The Twin Cities is blessed with a number of assets that make it a competitive region, but underneath these broad regional successes are some disturbing social and economic disparities, demonstrating that progress is not widely shared.
Twin Cities Compass is taking a close look at these disparities in its new documentary series, Close the Gap, produced in partnership with The Itasca Project and Twin Cities Public Television (TPT). The series focuses on Minnesotans facing daunting struggles because of the color of their skin, their income, and where they live. The series also offers some new ideas, solutions, and hope.
Close the Gap will air on TPT at 8 p.m. on the following dates:
May 10 – Close the Gap: Making Change
For more information click here.
State’s highway investment is a cumulative $13.89 billion under 1986 level
Growth & Justice launches Smart Investments in Minnesota’s Transportation Infrastructure project as part of broad strategy for economic growth.
Even before the I-35W bridge collapse, leaders across party lines in recent years have been in agreement that Minnesota is 20 years behind in transportation investment. Gov. Tim Pawlenty used that figure as recently as last fall in a Granite Falls speech. So what does that mean in actual dollars?
Research by the economic think tank Growth & Justice shows that if the state had kept up with its highway funding in 1986, adjusting for inflation and dramatic growth in highway usage, it would have invested $13.89 billion more over the last 20 years.
“Twenty Years Behind: Highway Spending & Revenues by Minnesota’s State Government, 1986-2006” is available by clicking this link
| 
